I Wanna Know What Love Is
by hogwarts-is-frozen
Summary: Elsa had long ago made peace with the fact she would never find love. The idea of allowing someone to be that intimate with her had been so frightening for so long that she written off the whole thing completely. That is, until a stranger from a distance land throws her entire world upside down. M for swearing and smut in later chapters. F/F and Kristanna
1. Chapter 1 - Arrival

**Hi everyone! Welcome to my new fic! It will be my first time writing an OC as well as my first time writing a romance, so I hope I am able to do a good job. I have a rough idea of how I want this plot to go and I hope that it will lead me where it wants to go and be a good way to help me get back on track with**

**Rating is set to M for swearing and smut in later chapters.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

Nia closed her eyes as the warm ocean breeze caressed her face and inhaled deeply as the smell of salt, damp wood, and freshly caught fish filled her nostrils. The sound of men hollering at one another over the snapping of the wind in the sails as they expertly maneuvered the ship's rigging - like monkeys swinging about the jungle canopy - and the crash of the sea against the hull of the ship, that she had become so accustomed to during her time at sea, filled the air. The woman gripped tightly to the railing of the massive vessel that sliced deftly through the waves churning below, smiling as she savored the feeling of the sun on her skin. The weather had slowly improved the further north they sailed, and it felt like ages since she had seen anything other than the gloomy clouds and heavy mists that were so common back home.

Home. Could she even call it that anymore? It had been years since she had stayed there longer than a fortnight. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy being there - joking with her siblings about the trouble they used to get into as children, sketching in the garden with her mother, or playing chess with her father - although, it was more like losing at chess with her father – but the woman just didn't feel as though she truly belonged there.

Nia knew she was different, she always had been. She wasn't what a proper Irish lady was supposed to be. She longed to travel, to learn as much as she could, and to forge her own way in the world. And although she knew her family accepted her for who she was, Nia heard the nasty things people whispered behind her back, it had become deafening.

t wasn't long after her 21st birthday that she had gone to her father and told him of her intention to leave. Nia had seen the sadness in his eyes but in the end he had agreed. Seeming to understand her need to escape the confines of what everyone was expecting of her and be free for once. /

Although her mother had taken the news rather hard at first and even tried her best to convince her eldest daughter to stay, Nia had blessedly found her freedom on that first voyage five years ago, ironically the same voyage she was taking now.

They had been at sea for close to a month now, normally the journey from Ireland to Norway was only three weeks but they had hit a particularly rough storm not too long after they had begun crossing the North Sea.

Her grip grew stiff; turning her knuckles white as memories of those four terrifying nights flashed threw her mind. Rain that had fallen so hard it felt more like a hailstorm of bullets, wind that had howled like a banshee all day and all night, making sleep impossible, and lashing herself to the ship as the deck bucked and reared beneath their feet. It was as if the sea had been trying to swallow them whole. They had lost three good men to the sea during that hellish storm.

It was then that something cold and wet met the palm of her hand and she looked down to see a large black snout nosing at her fingers. Nia smiled lovingly at the wolfhound whose tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth, while his tail began to wag slowly, and felt her fears slowly dissolve away. The woman chuckled as she stroked the coarse grey fur around her companion's ears, "Hello, Conan," she said fondly.

As the runt of the litter, the hound was hand-raised by Nia as a pup when his dam rejected him, and the two had been inseparable ever since. She loved the canine like her own family and refused to go anywhere without him by her side. It also helped - as a single woman traveling alone - having an escort with teeth as thick as her fingers and stood as tall as a grown man on his hind legs, greatly reducing her chance of being harassed.

His height made it so that she only had to bend slightly at the waist to wrap her arms around his warm neck, giggling as his breath tickled the small hairs at the back of her neck. /span/p

"Oi, blondie! When yer done snogging tha flea bag could yer give a tug on tha rope next to ya!" came a shout from above.

Nia grinned at the deckhand and shot him one of the emmany /emcrude hand gestures she had learned from sailing with a bunch of men, before striding over to the rope he had indicated and pulling it taught. Nia had become used to this kind of treatment from the crew now, even though she was technically the one who paid their wages.

She had hand picked this crew and its ship, the Múireann, herself, and over the five years they'd been travelling together they had become almost like a second family. Teaching the young girl how to play dice and poker – both of which she'd become rather good at, much to the dismay of many of the crew – not writing her off as a helpless woman, and slowly earning their respect when she showed a genuine interest in learning how her ship was run. And now she could perform almost every single job with ease. The woman was wrapping the rope more securely around its post when she heard the call.

"I see it! Straight ahead!"

The Irishwoman's head shot up so fast she felt a few of her vertebrae pop painfully. But Nia ignored it as she raced to the front of the Múireann, her boots thudding loudly on the wooden planks as she wove through the throng of bodies that blocked her path, Conan hot on her heels. When she reached the ship's foremast, Nia leapt up onto the shrouds and climbed nimbly to the top despite the wind grabbing at her skirts, and Conon barking and whining anxiously up at her.

"O'Sullivan!" Nia called to a young man who turned to face her as she hopped the railing to the crow's nest.

Thomas O'Sullivan was only about 19 years old and one of the last to join their crew when they had last stopped for supplies in London. The boy's story was a sad one; he had fled Ireland during the famine after the death of his parents, and had been hopping from job to job since he was 13. He was a timid lad and had always been on the scrawny side, but he was a hard worker and solid addition to their crew.

As Thomas brushed his soft red hair away from his brow Nia couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Nia knew she was by no means an ugly woman, she'd seen the leering looks of the young men and the envious ones she got from women. There were many ladies Nia's age that longed to share her long, wavy blonde locks, and milky pale flesh. However, some part of her had long ago decided that she would never be truly beautiful until she shared the fiery tresses and freckled skin of the ancient folk of childhood fairytales./

O'Sullivan blushed a little when he saw who had joined him at his station, and hastily tipped his cap. "Top'o the morning to you, Miss Nia," he said shyly. /

"Good afternoon, O'Sullivan. And just 'Nia' is fine," she said before nodding towards his spyglass. "May I take a look?"/

"Of course, Miss Nia," O'Sullivan replied handing her the brass instrument.

Nia bit back her gasp of excitement as she peered through the spyglass and the sight of the Fjord met her gaze. The view was just as breathtaking as the last time she had seen it. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed the feeling of solid ground beneath her feet. She ached for the sweet aroma of the Scandinavian pines and feel of soft grass between her toes.

The woman could tell they were still a fair distance away from the busy port, but the wind was with them so they should reach land within the next few hours. Nia could not yet see the docks she knew would be full of merchants selling their wares, and townsfolk doing their daily shopping and catching up on the newest gossip. But she could see the small homes that dotted the coast that steadily rose up from the sea, flanked on all sides by massive, snow-capped mountains. And nestled right at its center, completely surrounded by water, stood a magnificent castle with its imposing ramparts and familiar green and purple flags waving proudly from each of its eight main towers.

Arendelle.

It felt like a lifetime ago that Nia had first laid eyes on the remote kingdom. She'd heard of its beauty during her travels and had become curious of the mysterious tales surrounding its elusive royal family. So when the woman had gotten wind the crown princess had come of age, she'd jumped at the chance to join the festivities and finally see if there was any truth behind rumors. In the end, it was better than anything she could have possibly dreamed of.

Although there were many pleasurable things to do in Arendelle, her motives behind this voyage were purely academic. Nia constantly found herself drawn to the wonders of nature, and in particular, the millions of living creatures that made up this planet. She'd always loved animals, even when she was a child, whispering sweet words of encouragement to the mares going through labor; spending several hours huddled in the bushes so that she could watch a clutch of ducklings take their first gulps of air; or arguing training techniques with the kennel master.

Over time her attention had turned to beasts of the undomesticated variety. Which is what brought her back to Arendelle's distant shores and its vast herds of a rather unique species of reindeer.

When the Múireann eventually reached the docks of Arendelle's crowded port, Nia had to physically restrain herself from jumping into the shallows, she was so eager to be on land once more. It wasn't until she had double and triple checked that the ship was securely moored to the docks and made sure that all her belongings were brought ashore – guarded dutifully by Conan - that she approached the captain.

The man saluted her.

Nia tipped her head in acknowledgment before dropping a large bag of coins into the hand of the older gentlemen with weather beaten features that reflected his many years at sea. "Here you are, Captain. I don't plan on staying longer than a week or two. As per our usual agreement, you and your men are free to do as you please during that time, but I expect the Múireann to be ready as soon as I have completed my research."

The captain nodded. "Of course, ma'am." He paused, looking thoughtful and stroking his neatly trimmed salt and pepper beard. "I must admit, I am very much looking forward to experiencing Arendelle without any emsurprises /emin weather. I was never that fond of the winter months," he said with a shiver.

Nia chuckled, "Oh, come now, Captain, I've always thought there was a great deal of beauty to be found in winter. You just have to be willing to look for it.

"If you say so, ma'am," the captain replied doubtfully.

"Well, if that is all, Captain, I think it is time I go find myself some lodgings for the evening and get settled," Nia said.

"Would you like one of my men to escort you, ma'am?" Knowing very well what her answer would be./

"Thank you, Captain, but Conan is all the escort I need," she said jerking her head in the direction of the canine in question who was warily eyeing anyone who stepped too closely to his mistress' possessions. "Besides I've arranged for a carriage to be sent for by the harbormaster. Speaking of which…" she said trailing off as a well polished, black carriage pulled up next to the gangplank.

When the driver hopped down and went to load her trunk into the back, Conan pulled back his upper lip and let out a warning growl at the startled man. "Down, Conan!" she shouted over the many other voices that filled the harbor, including those of the countless sea birds that soared overhead.

"That's my cue," Nia said turning back to the captain and clasping him by the forearm. "See you in a few days, Captain. And don't let me catch you spending all your wages on gambling and pretty girls," she said with a wink.

The captain laughed heartily and leaned forward so that only she could hear what he said next, "I could say the same to you."

Nia flushed slightly. It was common knowledge that the Irishwoman had somewhat… _different_ tastes when it came to who shared her bed. In fact, it was one of the reasons behind her decision to leave home. Nia had grown weary of the judgmental looks and hushed whispers that followed her wherever she went. And though she knew her parents would always love her, she knew they struggled with it.

Nia was by no means ashamed of who she was. She had been born this way and knew there was nothing she could do to change that, even if she wanted to. But when the people you had grown up with looked at you with disapproval, or worst yet, disgust, it wore on a person. Besides all that, if she stayed, Nia knew she would be expected to marry, and the thought of being someone's wife, whose only role was to look pretty and produce children, like some brood mare, made her shudder.

Pushing back the confusing storm of emotions, Nia simply raised a single eyebrow. "Captain you should know me better than that by now. The women who share my bed _never_ accept payment for their services," she said coyly before releasing her grip.

The man laughed even louder at that. "I wouldn't want to be the man who takes that bet. I still remember that French lass. Poor girl could barely walk down the gangplank.

A wide grin split her face at the memory. Though Nia didn't pursue that particular service often, one did get lonely after weeks with nothing but sweaty men and the open ocean to keep one company. And when she occasionally did give in and discreetly request the captain bring aboard someone for her, it was true Nia made sure the girl was even more satisfied than she was. However, it was still their way of making a living, none had actually refused Nia's money, and even if they did Nia would never have allowed it./

"Good day, Captain."

"G'day, ma'am."

Filled with a renewed sense of excitement, Nia practically sprinted towards the waiting carriage that the driver had successfully loaded under Conan's watchful eye.

The man stood at attention by the door as he waited dutifully for her, his gaze constantly shifting to the wolfhound whose lip still twitched every now and again.

As Nia neared, Conan relaxed considerably; dropping his ears and wagging his tail slightly. Nia waved off the driver as she pulled the door open and climbed in before he could move to assist her. "Conan. Up!" she commanded and the hound jumped in after her, stretching himself out on the seat across from her.

The driver hesitated for a moment, looking torn. "Er – ma'am… We don jenerally allow…" he said with a very heavy Norwegian accent.

Nia cut him off. "I'll pay double. Og jeg snakker språket helt fint (And I speak the language just fine).

The man seemed to weigh his options for a moment before tipping his hat, "Veldig bra, frøken. Hvor til? (Very good, ma'am. Where to?)

(From now on, even though it is written in English, all of the dialogue will be in Norwegian unless stated otherwise)

Nia thought for a moment. "First things first, I need a drink that isn't cheap beer. Any place you can recommend?" she asked.

"I know just the place," he said with a smile. "Best spirits in all of Arendelle."

Two hours later Nia found herself striding triumphantly out of the local public house that the carriage driver had brought her to, with a generous amount of new gold lining her purse.

It had been fairly easy to deceive the men playing poker that she was more intoxicated than she actually was; giggling unabashedly at their terrible jokes and pretending that she kept forgetting how the game was played. She lost the first few hands, but on the last round she had gotten triple aces and a pair of queens – a full house - just what she'd needed to go all in and win the pot. Needless to say she had not made any new friends at that table.

Nia was halfway back to where she knew her carriage was waiting for her, Conan trotting at her side, when she heard the call.

"Hey, you!"

The blonde turned to see someone marching angrily towards her and she quickly recognized him as one of the men at the poker table. If she remembered correctly the man had lost all his money to Nia.

"I know what you did!" he snarled, his words slurring a little and his face turning a lovely shade of red. Nia had to stop herself from recoiling at the overwhelming smell of alcohol on his breath and her hand hovered over the small dagger she kept hidden beneath her skirts.

"I didn't _do_ anything. Other than win a game of cards," Nia said drawing herself to her full height. "It's not my fault you decided to play a straight when your highest card was a seven."

The inebriated man grew a darker shade of crimson as he glared down his bulbous nose at her and took a step forward, but Conan blocked his path, a low growl rumbling in his chest and ears pulled back. The canine was as tense as a bowstring and the fur along his shoulders and back stood on end, somehow making him look even larger than he already was. It was times like this where it was easy to see where he got his name. Were it not for his floppy ears and thinner fur, he truly could be mistaken for a wolf.

"You cheated," he spat, swaying slightly on his feet. "We want our money back!"

"We?

She suddenly felt a presence at her back, and heard the sound of knuckles cracking.

xxx

"Anna, are you sure you wouldn't like to rest for a bit?" The Queen asked, fretting over her sister.

"Elsa, would you relax. Gosh, you're worse than Kristoff," replied the younger woman as the pair slowly walked through Arendelle's bustling market place, a pair of royal guards following a few steps behind them.

Despite Anna's constant reassurances, Elsa was constantly fussing over her sister's condition.

The royal family had announced the blessed news only a few short days ago, and the entire kingdom had rejoiced; the princess was with child. Anna was only three months along and had just started to show, but Elsa acted as though Anna would go into labor just by looking at her the wrong way.

"I know, but I want to make sure my little niece or nephew is as well cared for as possible," Elsa said lovingly.

Anna smiled, unconsciously placing a hand on her small bump. "I have a feeling this little one is going to be the most spoiled child in all of Arendelle."

The two women were standing outside a baked goods stand as the princess tried to decide what the baby would allow her to eat without getting nauseated, when they heard shouting.

"Hey, you!"

Both the queen and the princess turned to see an extremely angry gentleman storm out of the Golden Crocus – Arendelle's public house – and make his way over to an awfully curious women who was standing next to possibly the largest dog Elsa had ever seen.

The woman was clearly foreign as she wore a very peculiar outfit. Most of the women of Arendelle wore simple wool or cotton dresses that supported some form of rosemaling along hemlines and bodices. This woman sported simple black skirts decorated with what Elsa recognized as the intricate knots from the Celtic nations. And instead of a bodice, the girl wore a collared shirt that dipped down to show a generous amount of cleavage, under a dark grey vest - something more akin to what a man might wear.

Elsa wasn't able to hear the rest of their exchange but she had to admit she was impressed with the woman's ability to stand her ground as the man, who was very obviously drunk, continued to shout abuse at her. It was then that she noticed the second man.

"Elsa do you think we should help her? He looks really mad." Anna said, anxiously. "Freeze their legs or something."

"Anna, you know I can't do that," Elsa said reproachfully. The queen had long ago decided she would never use her powers to influence or meddle in the affairs of her people. She didn't want her kingdom depending on her winter magic, or even worse, viewing them as a weapon of some sort (even if it were for defense). However, when Elsa saw the second man grab the woman by her hair and pull her head back, the queen called over her guards.

It didn't take long to see that this mysterious woman wasn't without her own abilities.

Since her hair was woven into a network of elaborate golden braids, the man wasn't able to get a firm hold, so she could straighten up enough to regain her balance. She then linked her fingers together before pressing them over her attacker's hand. Moving faster than he could react she took a step forward and bent over, twisting around to face him – pulling his arm along with her - and stood up so that his wrist snapped like a dry branch. The man cried out in pain and immediately released his hold, cradling his broken wrist against his chest before running off.

The woman then whirled around to face the first man who wore an expression equal parts shock and confusion, and threw her fist directly into his face, knocking him to the ground. It was at that moment that the woman's massive companion leapt on to the man's chest, gleaming white teeth snapping inches from his now profusely bleeding nose, preventing him from sitting up.

The woman then shouted something and spat on ground next to him in a very unladylike fashion, causing Elsa to wrinkle her nose a little in disgust.

"Woah," gasped Anna in complete awe. "Elsa, _who_ that?"

"I don't know," the Queen replied honestly. Although, now that they were somewhat closer, Elsa thought the woman looked familiar somehow. "But I don't believe she is from Arendelle."

xxx

"You think just because I am a woman you can rob me! I won that money fair and square you bloody eejits!"

Nia was seeing red. She hated that men were always throwing temper tantrums whenever she beat them at something, simply because she was a woman. There was nothing she hated more than fragile masculinity.

It took a few moments for her to come down out of her adrenaline-fueled rage. She then noticed the small crowd of shocked bystanders and realized someone was speaking to her.

"Miss? Miss, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Nia snapped, shaking slightly and chest heaving.

"Are you sure you're not hurt?"

The woman flinched as a white, gloved hand touched her shoulder.

"Don't! Just – don't," Nia said in irritation as she turned to face two men dressed in uniform. They both wore the same green suit with indigo trimmings, and well as the tall caps sporting a golden crocus that marked them as Arendelle's law enforcement. "Thank you for all your assistance, gentlemen," Nia said sarcastically.

"Conan, here!" Nia called over shoulder as she shoved past the two officers who were looking rather offended.

The wolfhound gave one last savage growl at the man under his paws before running to catch up with his mistress.

**Thanks everyone for reading! Please let me know what you think!**

**\- N.J.B**


	2. Chapter 2 - Formalities

**Welcome to chapter 2 everyone. I hope you have all had a chance to see the new Frozen 2 movie! And I hope you loved it as much as I did! **

**So clearly this story no longer follows the canon story and I suppose a case could be made to say this is more of an AU as opposed to a continuation of the story. Either way I hope you enjoy. **

* * *

"That. Was. Awesome!" Anna exclaimed punching a fist into the air. "Do you think I could get her to teach me how to do that? Whenever I ask Kristoff to teach me to fight he just laughs at me, and the guards are all too afraid you'd freeze them or sack them if they help me."

Elsa, wasn't listening to her sister, she could only look on in stunned silence as she watched the foreign woman snap at the guards before stomping past without even a backwards glace. For some reason the Queen couldn't tear her gaze away as the woman approached a very expensive looking carriage. This proved the woman came from some form of wealth, a little surprising considering what Elsa had just witnessed.

The woman wrenched open the door with such ferocity, Elsa feared she might pull it off the hinges. The driver didn't even have time to get down off his seat before the strange woman and her companion had jumped inside, slamming the door, and barking something at the driver Elsa couldn't distinguish.

And just like that, she was gone. It had all happened so fast Elsa didn't know what to think. She had never seen someone move with such confidence before, let alone a female. This woman had taken down two fully-grown men, and with surprising ease. Elsa had needed the help of her exceptionally powerful magic and (although she loathed to admit it) Prince Hans, to do the same.

Just who was this mystery woman?

xxx

Nia hissed in pain and swore as she did her best to tighten the laces of her corset, but the swelling in her hand was making it very difficult to curl her fingers properly. Conan whined anxiously from his place at in front of the hearth at the sound of her discomfort.

It had been a full day since her encounter with those two brutes back at the public house and the stinging in her right hand had only gotten worse. Despite this however, Nia was in fairly good spirits. She had found a reasonably nice inn just on the outskirts of Arendelle. A family owned establishment, run by a mountain of a man with his wife and three children. Nia could have afforded to stay at one of the finer inns, but this was closest one to the trails that lead into the wilds and the only one that allowed Conan to sleep in her room.

By the time she had finally gotten dressed and arranged her wild curls, Nia was practically jumping out of her skin to get to the mountains and begin her research. However, there were a few formalities she would have to deal with first.

Grabbing her peacoat for the early morning chill and her notebook, Nia made her way to the main hall of the inn.

"Yoo hoo!" called a man standing behind the counter, giving Nia a little wave of his giant hand. "You need some breakfast, ja?"

Nia smiled at the owner, who still wore a brightly coloured sweater and knitted hat despite it being rather warm inside, and waved back.

"Thank you, Oaken, but I really should get going. I have a lot to do today and –"

His wife suddenly appeared with a plate of honey rolls and bacon. "Nonsense, dear. Eat. You're much too thin as it is," she said, tossing a large strip of bacon down to Conan, who snapped it eagerly out of the air.

Nia laughed. "Helga, you sound like my mother," she said picking up one of the mouth-watering rolls, taking a generous bite out of one and stuffing two more into the hidden pockets of her jacket.

"Then an intelligent woman she must be," Helga replied with a wink. "So what is it that has you hurrying about like the Devil himself is clawing at your heels?" she asked, picking up a nearby glass and cleaning it with the apron she wore around her slim waist.

"I'm planning on traveling into the northern foothills tomorrow to see if the rumors I've heard regarding your herds of reindeer are true and I need to find myself a sure-footed horse to get me there," Nia said around a mouthful of bacon. "But before I do any of that, I need to get permission from your Queen."

Xxx

Elsa had to physically restrain from rolling her eyes at the two men bickering in front of her. She had been holding one of her bi-weekly Court sessions, and had been trapped attending to petitioners vying for her attention on one thing or another all morning. Currently, Elsa was listening to a simple dispute over wages between a farmer and his farmhand and they had been going on for almost an hour now. The farmhand claimed that he was not being sufficiently paid for the amount of work he was doing while the farmer argued they had long ago come to an agreement regarding payment. The farmer pointed out that the only reason the younger man wanted to be paid more was because he'd learned that one of his brothers had been earning more than he had, but the farmer could not afford an increase in wages.

Though the young Queen did her best to keep her attention focused on the petitioners, she couldn't help but let her mind wander the longer they went around and around in their argument. This day, she found her thoughts drifting back to the strange woman from the day before. Elsa couldn't say why, but the odd woman had been never been far from the Queen's mind since her return to the castle. Everything about her had been… curious. From the way she'd handled the two men who had assaulted her, to her accent, to the clothing she wore.

Who was she? Where had she come from? And most curious of all, what was her business in Arendelle?

So many questions and no answers, it was enough to make her head spin. Elsa had asked Kai if he knew of any visiting nobility, but he had assured her that none he knew of had docked in Arendelle recently. Only a few merchant vessels and one or two smaller ships.

The young Queen snapped to attention when she realized the two men had finally stopped talking and were now looking expectantly up at her. She hoped they had not noticed her brief mental lapse.

"I have heard enough," Elsa said, schooling her features into a mask of smooth neutrality, as her late father had taught her. She turned her attention to the farmer, "Do you have a written copy of your agreement regarding wages?"

The older man shook his head slowly. "No, Majesty. T'was a simple spoken agreement."

Elsa nodded. "Then there is no proof of what wages were agreed upon."

The young man grinned in triumph… but she was not finished.

"However, there are many young men looking for work and would be only too happy to accept the amount you are able to afford should this man decide he need the increase." She now turned to the farmhand who was no longer looking so victorious. "You must both come to an agreement over what is fair and have a written contract signed by the both of you as well as one other witness." When the younger man looked as though he were about to argue she held up her hand to silence him. "If you feel that you will not be able to come to a suitable agreement then come back and see me. We are always looking for more able-bodied men to help with the ice exports. Keep in mind that it is not easy work, but you would be well compensated."

In the end, the two men left looking appeased for now, if not overly thrilled about her decision.

She sighed and leaned back heavily on her throne, rubbing at her tired eyes while trying not to smudge her carefully applied eye makeup. After regaining her composure, she signaled Kai to retrieve the next (and hopefully last) petitioner. She had not at all expected what happened next.

"Ma'am! Ma'am, I am sorry, but I cannot allow that animal inside the castle! It will have to stay outside. Ma'am!" Came the sound of Kai's voice, followed by a set of purposeful footsteps.

"I have been waiting all bloody morning! And Conan stays with me. Always," another voice said firmly. "Oh, quit your fretting, man, he is better trained than most of the noble brats I've met."

"I beg your pardon! But –"

Kai wasn't able to finish his protest when the two – or rather three, including the canine – of them rounded the corner into the throne room.

Elsa stood, immediately recognizing the owner of the second voice as the woman from the market, although she looked a great deal different than she had the day previous. Today it seemed she had opted to wear something considered more appropriate to her gender. It was a very finely made violet dress hemmed in the same elaborate celtic knots that had been stitched into her earlier outfit. Around her hips sat a thin, silver chain that ran down the middle of her skirt that swayed slightly as she walked. And in the hollow of her slender throat sat a gold pendant that displayed two hands cradling a heart topped with a crown. It was then Elsa realized why this woman looked so familiar to her.

"Your, Majesty I -" Kai started but Elsa just shook her head before he could continue.

"It is alright, Kai," Elsa said, doing her best to reassure the manservant. "I'm sure her companion will be on his best behaviour. "Also, could you fetch Anna for me? I'm more than sure she has forgotten our appointment with the physician today. I'd check the stables first."

Kai hesitated for a few moments, eyeing Conan apprehensively. "Yes, Your Majesty," he said before nodding and striding towards the exit.

Nia took a moment to assess this mysterious Queen of Arendelle. She seemed so very different than the timid, anxious young woman Nia had met those many years ago. This woman carried herself in a way that displayed both her maturity and authority and yet there was still a fragility about her that piqued Nia's curiosity.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Nia said offering a small curtsey and tilt of her head, to which Elsa returned with a nod. "I do assure you that he does exactly as I tell him. Conan, down," she said to demonstrate, for as she gave the command the canine dropped down next to his mistress, looking up at her as if waiting for further instruction.

"Very impressive," Elsa said smiling her approval. "And I must say he really is quite remarkable. Do you mind me asking what kind he is, I've never seen any breed like him in Arendelle? I admit I don't know much about dogs. I was never very good with animals in any capacity really. I think they sensed my magic and so kept their distance."

"Animals are sensitive creatures, Majesty, they do not communicate through verbal speech like you and I, so they use body language and can easily read emotion. It is much more likely that they would sense fears or anxiety rather than magical abilities," Nia said with a reassuring smile. "I would be hard pressed to believe a wonderful gift such as yours would frighten an animal. And, to answer your question, Conan is an Irish wolfhound. A very common breed where I'm from, often used for hunting and to protect livestock. I raised him since he was a pup, runt of the litter if you can believe it."

The Queen blushed at Nia's compliment about her powers. "I must say I do find it rather difficult to imagine that there are bigger ones than him," Elsa chuckled.

Nia smiled. She decided she liked this Queen Elsa. She was easy to talk to and didn't seem prone to speaking down on those below her station, as so many royals often did. And Heavens, Nia had forgotten how lovely she was. She wore a magnificent soft blue gown that glittered in a way that Nia couldn't distinguish what fabric it was made from. No jewels hung about her neck or ears, she didn't need them, for her natural beauty far outshone any gems. The only decoration she sported was a delicate tiara, nestled neatly among her platinum blonde strands, which looked to be cut from glass and shaped like the top half of a snowflake.

But Nia was not there to gawk; she was there for a purpose.

"Forgive me, Majesty. I don't think I properly introduced myself. Or at least you probably don't remember when my father introduced us at your coronation."

Elsa grinned. "Countess Niamh of Castle Dunmore, if I recall correctly."

Nia blinked at the Queen in surprise. "You have quite the memory, Your Majesty."

The Queen shrugged. "I admit I didn't recognize you at first, but then I saw your necklace," she said gesturing to the chain handing around Nia's throat, "and I remembered asking you about it during our first meeting. The claddage, yes?"

"I'm impressed, Queen Elsa. You are correct on both accounts, or at least mostly correct. I simply go by '_Lady_Niamh of Dunmore', now," she said. "I relinquished my claim to my father's lands some years ago."

Now it was Elsa's turn to be surprised. "Did you two have a falling out?"

Nia shook her head with a smile. "Hardly, Your Majesty, quite the opposite in fact. It was all done at my request when I became certain my brother was more than equal to the task. I knew the people would be more content with a male heir anyways. The Irish are much more… shall we say, 'traditional' compared to those here in Arendelle, plus it freed me to do what I truly loved."

Elsa felt herself hanging on to every word that fell from this stranger's lips. Drawn to her like an insect to a candle's flame. Nia was like something out of one of her stories – enigmatic and brash. She was so different from Elsa herself, who was so focused on duty and maintaining control at all times, which only served to make her all the more captivating.

"And what is it that you truly love?" Elsa asked, somewhat shyly, almost as if she hadn't meant to ask the question at all.

A contented smile painted Nia's expression and her gaze became unfocused. "To travel," she said, "and to learn all I can about the things that fascinate me most. Which, I suppose, brings me to the reason for my visit to your lovely kingdom."

But before Nia could explain herself further a loud gasp interrupted her.

"Ohmygosh! You! From the market!"

Thoroughly confused, Nia watched as a young woman with the reddest hair she had ever seen and so many freckles Nia could have sworn she was straight out of one of the storybooks her mother used to read her, skipped over to fidget excitedly beside the queen. Her appearance caused Conan to stand up and sniff her curiously - Nia couldn't help but notice the queen had gone very still at his sudden movement - and to Nia's amazement he stepped forward to push his head under the new girl's hand for a scratch.

"Well I'll be," Nia breathed.

"What?" The redheaded asked – who Nia now recognized as the Princess - happily falling to her knees and letting the canine give her sloppy kisses on the chin.

"He only behaves that way with me. And one other time…" Nia said, trailing off.

"When was the other time?" the Princess asked curiously.

"When my sister was… Forgive me, Your Grace, but you- you wouldn't happen to be… expecting, would you?"

Nia watched the surprise arc simultaneously through both women, confirming her suspicions. "I went to visit my sister and her husband when she became pregnant with her first child and it was like he turned into an entirely different dog. He followed her everywhere and was very protective. He even growled at my brother-in-law once," she said, chuckling at the memory.

The princess laughed, where as the queen still hadn't moved. "Such a clever boy, aren't you! Aren't you!" she cooed. "Oh Elsa would you relax, I can practically feel you worrying from here. He isn't going to eat me… although considering how big you are, you probably could. Right big guy?" the younger girl said winking in Nia's direction, forcing the woman to hold back a snort.

"That's not funny, Anna!" The queen scolded.

"It's a little funny. You just have no sense of humor," Anna teased, resulting in a small flush working its way up the Queen's neck.

Elsa tilted her chin up haughtily and folded her arms in a very undignified pout.

"You would never hurt me, would you, big guy? See, Elsa he's a big'ol softie," Anna said as Conan lay down in front of her and rolled on his back so that she could rub the soft underside of his belly. "You only attack big jerks in pubs who try and hurt your mama, don't you?"

Now it was Nia's turn to be surprised. "How - how do know about that?" she asked.

"Anna and I were in the market yesterday and happened to witness your… altercation," Elsa said, a little sheepishly. She still felt a little guilty for not allowing herself to intervene – despite the fact that Nia had been more than capable on her own.

Her shyness then turned into a small smirk. "I believe both my guards' prides are still smarting a little from your interaction."

Nia simply stood blinking at the two royals as the Queen's admission sunk in and she couldn't help the small flush of embarrassment that coloured her cheeks. Brawling with two men after an afternoon of drinking and cards was definitely not the kind of first impression she'd wanted to make. How was she going to gain the Queen's approval now?

She cleared her throat and bowed her head, trying to regain some semblance of composure. "I apologize, Your Majesty, Your Highness," Nia said. "That was… was unbecoming of me. I – I was…"

"It's alright, Lady Niamh." The Queen interrupted gently. "You were simply defending yourself. I only wish you had never been put in that situation in the first place, and I hope it had not tarnished your view of Arendelle's people."

The Irishwoman felt some of the tension in her shoulders ease. "Hardly, Your Majesty. It will take a little more than a couple of common thugs who can't handle losing to a woman at a simple game of cards to soil my opinion of your lovely kingdom." She smiled. "And please, call me Nia."

Elsa returned her smile while the Princess stood up and held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Nia!" Anna said brightly, before leaning in and lowering her voice. "But seriously, what you did to those guys was awesome! Could you teach me how to do that?"

Nia's laughter quickly turned into a hiss of pain as she took the Princess' hand. Conan jumped to his feet at the sound, eyeing her with concern.

"Oh my gosh! What is it? Are you okay? I'm so sorry!" Anna said.

"No, No," Nia said. "It's not your fault. It's just my hand, that's all."

The Princess made a pained expression before taking Nia's wrist before she could resist, and examined the appendage. It had turned a lovely assortment of colours and the knuckles had become so swollen that Nia could no longer make a fist. "Yikes. It's from punching that guy in the face, isn't it?"

"It's fine, really," Nia assured.

Elsa stepped forward a little hesitantly. "May I?" she asked.

Nia starred at the Queen's outstretched hand in confusion for a few moments before nodding in understanding.

As gently as she possibly could, Elsa took Irishwoman's hand and held it between her own.

The Queen's hands were soft and smooth – which made sense as everyone knew the monarch had worn gloves almost all her life – and it elicited a response in Nia that she had not been expecting. Gooseflesh raised all along her arms and her stomach did an impressive somersault at the contact.

For a few brief moments the two locked eyes and something passed between the two women that had Nia's mouth suddenly very dry.

She was pulled from her reverie however, when the young Queen suddenly looked away and a soft glow began to emit her palms. Nia watched in rapt fascination as a soothing cold wrapped around her hand and she couldn't stop the sigh of relief that slipped past her lips as the throbbing pain in her joints was reduced to a dull ache.

When the light died away and the warmth returned Nia examined her limb, holding it up to her face and curling each finger experimentally. The swelling had gone down considerably and the flesh felt cool to the touch, as if it had been bound in a healing balm.

"Wow," she breathed. "That's – you're incredible."

The Queen smiled bashfully and simply shrugged. "It's nothing."

"Nothing? It's amazing!"

Elsa merely tucked a loose strand of platinum blonde hair behind her ear, clearly becoming increasingly self-conscious under Nia's awed gaze.

The foreign girl didn't even realize she was staring until the Princess cleared her throat loudly, causing both women to look away from each other and shift awkwardly as Anna watched with a sly grin.

Elsa was the first to regain her composure as she stood more upright and folded her hands in front of her lap. "I apologize, Lady Nia. I'm sure you had actual reason for your visit today?"

"Yes, Queen Elsa. I would like to request your permission to travel the nearby foothills," Nia said.

"Oh?" Elsa asked lifting an eyebrow. "And what is it you will be doing?"

"I am hoping to observe one of your unique reindeer herds in their natural habitat," Nia explained. "Also, if you know of anyone who might be able to help me locate… whyyy are you looking at each other like that?" Nia asked as the Queen and the Princess turned to each other with knowing smiles.

"You are more than welcome to explore the surrounding Arendellian wilds to further your research. And in regards to whom I could offer as a guide, I think I know just the man for the job."

* * *

**Well there we go :) I hope you enjoyed those initial sparks between Miss Nia and our favourite Queen, I know Anna certainly did hehe ;) **

**Hope you liked it and please review, review, review!**

**-NJB**


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